-Matthew's Newspaper-

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

Matthew's Newspaper
”News and views that you can use”

Interview with Sunnyvale Mayor Ron Swegles

On Monday, May 1st, I got to interview the mayor of Sunnyvale, Ron Swegles. He was nice enough to clear out his schedule for the rest of the afternoon, so my mom and I got to talk to him for two hours! I tried to think of questions that Matthew’s Newspaper readers would like to ask. Here are the questions and answers from the interview:
1. Matthews Newspaper (MN): What did it take to become mayor?

Ron Swegles (RS): In Sunnyvale, we appoint the mayor from the city council based on three criteria: seniority, number of votes received, and no previous term as mayor. Normally, the mayor receives training by being the vice mayor before he or she is elected mayor.
2. MN: What was your most important act as mayor?

RS: Nothing that exciting usually happens, but I guess it would be meeting President Bush. (Editor’s Note: President Bush came to Silicon Valley on Friday, April 21st. Mayor Swegles and the mayor of Mountain View were on hand to meet him at Moffett Federal Airfield, along with Governor Schwarzenegger and the chairman of the California Republican Party.
3. MN: What is your job as mayor? Is it a full-time job?

RS: Usually I’m out visiting companies, congratulating them when they reach a milestone. If they’d like to meet with the mayor to discuss anything, they make an appointment. I also attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies (or board-cutting, in the case of Lowe’s) and go on various speaking engagements. Last Saturday, I went to a leadership camp for the NAACP in the mountains of Saratoga. Tomorrow, I’m flying to Atlanta with councilmember John Howe to represent Sunnyvale for a Base Realignment Advisory Committee (BRAC) meeting. The committee will discuss the future of Onizuka Air Force Base, among others. Right now, “weekend warriors” use it to practice touch-and-go maneuvers.
4. MN: Do you have another job, besides being mayor?

RS: Yes. I work for Brandenburg, Staedler and Moore as a community administrator at one of their mobile home communities.
5. MN: Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?

RS: I was born and raised in Wayne, Michigan. I went to Ben Franklin Middle School, Wayne Memorial High School, and after spending four years in the Navy, I got a VA scholarship to Cleary College in Michigan.
6. MN: Are you a baseball fan?

RS: Yes! I’m a Giants fan. And it helps that the minister at my church (Los Altos United Methodist Church) is a big Giants fan, too, because he likes to organize group outings to Giants games for our church. (Editor’s Note: The mayor is also the Director of Leisure Ministries at his church.)
7. MN: What would you like to tell us about your family?

RS: I have a wonderful wife who fills in for me when I’m on the road. I have two daughters and three sons (one lives in England, and one is in the Air Force), and I was blessed to have them all fly in for my swearing-in ceremony last year.

Global Warming – We Must Act NOW!

The world needs to go on a diet, and cut its use of coal, oil, and gas. If we don’t reduce our use of these fuels by 70% in the near future, we won’t have much of a future!
The web definition of global warming is “a gradual warming of the Earth’s atmosphere reportedly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrial pollutants.” Here is a graph that shows how much the Earth has warmed since 1860.
Why is global warming so important? Climate changes produced by global warming have far-reaching consequences. For example:
Melting glaciers could raise sea level 20 feet.
More severe weather (such as category 4 and 5 hurricanes, droughts, floods and heat waves) means property damage, crop failure, and more deaths caused by heat.
Changes in the pH of the world’s oceans means some fish will become extinct.
What steps can we take to drastically cut our use of coal, gas and oil? For one thing, we can drive hybrid cars. We can also switch to other energy sources, such as wind, solar, tidal power, hydro-electric power, and clean hydrogen fuels. I know our next car will be a hybrid. How about yours?

Advertising Space Available!

We charge $5.00/issue for a business card ad. If you pay $15.00 for three issues, the fourth one is free! This is a great way to reach all the subscribers to Matthew’s Newspaper, including the Sunnyvale Public Library, City Hall, the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, and my 4th grade class at Stocklmeir. Look for the “Ads Published” section.

Lowe’s Home Improvement StoreInterview with John Spence, Store Manager

On Thursday, April 27th, I interviewed John Spence to see what’s going on at the newest Lowe’s store, now open in Sunnyvale at Wolfe and Arques. Here are the questions I asked him, along with his answers:

1. MN: What sets Lowe’s apart from other home improvement stores?

JS: Our focus is on the total house, not just “sticks and bricks.” We’re also going after total home finishing, garden, accents, outdoor living, installation, and special order sales.
2. MN: Is this a good place to work? Why?

JS: I’ve been in retail for 32 years, and this is the best retail organization I’ve worked in. They treat their people fairly and offer the best benefits I’ve ever seen.
3. MN: Will you be offering workshops to customers? If so, what kinds?JS: We’ll have clinics every Saturday. For example, we’ll explain how to install pavers and tile, and how to paint house interiors. We are also working with Habitat for Humanity and coordinating Product Knowledge seminars. They will send female contractors to teach the seminars.
4. MN: Do you offer a low-price guarantee?

JS: We match any competitor’s price and beat it by 10% if you bring in their ad when you come to buy. We can also call the competitor to verify their price.
5. MN: Do you offer design services?

JS: Yes, we offer kitchen design services. A cabinet specialist could also help with bathroom design.
6. MN: Do you guarantee your plants for one year from the date of purchase?

JS: Yes.
7. MN: How long have you been working for Lowe’s?

JS: For 1 ½ years.
8. MN: What special events are planned for your grand opening (May 10th)?

JS: The Lowe’s #48 NASCAR will be here for at least two days. We may also have Dean Johnston and JoAnn Liebeler from PBS’s HomeTime show. There will be a drawing for a $1000 shopping spree and a truck box full of tools. Customers can fill out entry forms near the flooring department.
9. MN: Do you carry tools specially sized for small hands?

JS: Yes.
10. MN: What prompted the change in your slogan from “Lowe’s – Improving Home Improvement” to “Let’s Build Something Together”?

JS: It probably has to with changing the focus to “we’re here to help.”
11. MN: What are your duties as store manager?

JS: I oversee the total operations of the store and the property it sits on.
12. MN: How did you hire staff?

JS: We rented a room at the Four Seasons hotel to hold interviews and ran an ad in the San Jose Mercury News.
13. MN: What is the most fun part of your job?

JS: I like dealing with customers, helping them complete their jobs, and making sure they have everything they need before they leave.
We noticed that employees answer the phones with “Thank you for calling Lowe’s, where we deliver and install…” Their name badges say “Customer-focused.” We also talked to customers and got these comments:
“The selection here is great – you can find a lot more high-end products here than at Home Depot.” (Editor’s Note: Lowe’s employees call Home Depot “the orange cube.”)
“It’s so roomy. I can navigate the aisles so easily.”
Editor’s Note: The carts are fun to drive!

Giants Baseball Recap

Barry Bonds hit his 712th home run today in the 5-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. The Giants also lost last night, 10-4, although they were leading 2-0 at one point. Now their record is 13-13, which ties them with the Diamondbacks for second place in the National League West. Now the Giants travel to Milwaukee for two games against the Brewers, then it’s on to Philadelphia for three games. The Giants will face the Astros at home on Monday, the 8th, to make up for a game that was rained out in April.

Word Scrimmage
Theme: Words from the Mayor’s Interview. If you need help, the answers are on the last page.
_______________________ Hint: Moffett __________ Airfield.
L A F D E E R
_______________________ Hint: __________ Valley.
N O S I C I L
_______________________ Hint: __________ Air Force Base.
Z O I N K U A
_______________________ Hint: Director of ___________ Ministries.
U S E R I E L

Ads Published

Yarn Place is offering a free beginning knitting class from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 11th, a free beginning crochet class from 4-5 p.m. on May 25th, and a trunk sale on Sunday the 21st, the only Sunday of the month they’re open! It is from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Save from 10-50% off! Stop by at 123 E. Fremont Ave. Sunnyvale, CA, or call (408) 739-7888!

Sunnyvale Mayor Ron Swegles wants you to visit his blog at www.asksunnyvalesmayor.blogspot.com. Please leave a comment!!

Belly Buttons

Daddy keeps a birdhouse in his belly button! Have you ever seen all the aphids of the world’s belly buttons? And just don’t forget King Belly Button! (:

Weather Forecast
Here is my weather forecast:
Wednesday - Sunday: Sunny, Highs around 80. (Editor’s Note: The UV Index is 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 – extremely dangerous! Wear sunscreen!

The Answer Section

Here are the answers to the puzzle:

Word Scrimmage Answers

1. FEDERAL 2. SILICON 3. ONIZUKA 4. LEISURE

Note: Have a nice day! You can report anything about your cat, or belly button, or any subject that might be in the newspaper. :)